Syphilis / HIV

[Baff]

Hey Guys,

You guys do an awesome, tireless job. Sorry that I'm here! but glad you exist 

Anyway, For years I have been a committed safe sexer and just fell off the wagon this last twelve months. First let me say that I have been for all my tests yesterday and am now in the awkward 10 to 14 day wait stage.

I am exclusively top, circumcised and most likely have used these facts as a means to feeling invincible, which I know I'm not. I've barebacked probably 15 guys over the last twelve months, the last of which was on October 19. Weirdly then two days ago I got a small sore on my penis which I believe could be syphilis (although doc yesterday thinks it may just be a friction burn, but I feel like it's in the wrong spot to be that).

My question mainly is....if someone gave me syphilis and also was HIV pos, does it necessarily follow that I would contract the HIV as well as the syphilis, or are they totally separate? I'm aware that if I had a syphilis sore and THEN had UAI, it would increase my chances, but at the time the sex happened my penis was shiny and healthy. Obviously I'd rather have neither, but at least they have a shot for syphilis...

Anyway, I'm basically swearing off sex for a while as the worst part of this is that I have met an amazing dude who makes me want to ditch this random sex habit I've acquired. Would be poetic justice of the worst kind to get HIV at this precise point in time, but I'll save all that for my therapist ( when I can afford one ) 

Thank you in advance for your comments and expertise.

D.

[Jeff G]

As you already know you have had a risk and now you must test at the appropriate time .

You can test at 6 weeks past any possible exposure and again at 3 months to confirm the results . The average time to seroconversion is 22 days. Most who are infected will test positive by 6 weeks. For various reasons a small number will take longer and that is why we follow the CDC recommendation to test at 3 months for a conclusive negative result.

Not every encounter with an HIV positive person results in a transmission . If a HIV positive person is infected with an STD it can increase the HIV viral load making them more infectious than if they were STD free . We don't talk about symptoms or give percentages on risk , we can tell you that you must test for HIV and all STDS at the appropriate time because testing is the ONLY way to know your status .

Anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results.

Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv. Some of the other STIs can be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to test.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!